As used herein, the term, telematics refers to technology by which a motor vehicle and its status can be monitored at a remote location by a service provider. Telematics systems also enable a vehicle's location to be tracked, its operation monitored, and its theft detected. General Motors' OnStar® system is one example of a telematics system.
While telematics systems enable tracking and controlling a vehicle from a remote location, they do not currently enable or provide for conventional telecommunications, i.e. voice calls, conducted between a vehicle occupant and someone other than a telematics service provider representative. An apparatus and method for allowing a telematics system in a vehicle to also provide conventional two-way wireless communications would be an improvement over the prior art.